I picked up this novel because it was on a list of 10 best fiction novels of 2010. I hope that is not the case, here, or fiction is in a sad state. The novel is okay; its not great. Udall works very hard to make Golden, his protagonist, a suffering hero with whom the reader should feel compassion. But, the guy is really a wimp. Yes, he takes responsiblity for his family of 4 wives and 25 children and, yes, he's grieving the loss of his disabled daughter who died on his watch but...a lot of these situations find him; he is not really the driver of his life. He is a man to whom things happen to, not a person who makes things happen. Hence, his house is in disarray; his kids are messed up; his business is failing. With 28 children and 4 women, this novel had a lot of potential. Instead, Udall focuses on the one male and one of his emotionally suffering sons. The women are flat, which is disappointing. And, in a novel where there is very little action/plot, you need to have strong chracter - characters with whom you want to know about and follow. I just don't think that Udall was successful in creating that type of character in his protagonist.